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Boxted Church Pagan Stones, BOXTED, Colchester District, TL998332, General geological site
Site category: Boulders - sarsen Site name: Boxted Church Pagan Stones Grid reference: TL 998332 Brief description of site: Several sarsen stones (the largest 120cm x 60cm in size) are visible as the foundation stones of St. Peter's Church. The tower, which is of Norman age, is constructed mostly from blocks of ferricrete. It is not uncommon to find church walls built upon erratic boulders which has led to the belief that this practice was to demonstrate the superiority of the Christian structure over the Pagan stones. Sarsen stones Sarsens are extremely hard boulders of sandstone formed around 55 million years ago when the climate of Britain was hot and a layer of sand beneath the surface of the ground became cemented with quartz. They are thus very resistant to erosion and have survived the rigours of the Ice Age. They originated on the chalk downland north and west of Essex and were carried here by rivers and glaciers. After retreat of the ice they became concentrated in river valleys.
The formation of silcretes (which includes sarsens and puddingstones) has been the subject of recent scientific debate. Research has compared the conditions under which sarsens and puddingstones may have been formed with the present day climate in the Kalahari Desert and parts of Australia.
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Reference: Lucy 2003a
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